Clarification of the schedule for Colorado Springs Utilities' ongoing South 21st Street water-line project was provided this week.
Kristin Flannery, part of the city enterprise's issues management group, said the expectation now is that work will be done by the first or second week of December,
depending on the weather. Barring emergencies or brief times when extra construction space is needed, traffic should stay open both ways, with much of the work
taking place at night, she said.
The project is replacing a 42-year-old, 16-inch water line between Lower Gold Camp Road and Villa de Mesa Drive that has had leakage problems. Because it's a
major transmission line carrying water from multiple water tanks, if the line went out, it could affect thousands of homes or businesses in the area - not just the 14
businesses that tap into it along that part of 21st Street, Flannery said.
The project is actually installing two lines in its place. Phase 1 is a 12-inch-wide service line for the 14 businesses. Phase 2 is a new 20-inch pipe that will be a
transmission line only.
Work on the 12-inch pipe (along the west side of the street) was being completed this week. Plans call for work to shift to the east side next week to start installing
the 20-inch line, according to Flannery.
There had been some confusion about the project schedule because an initial mailing to businesses and nearby residences announced a start date in late August and a
probable finish date (weather dependent) in early November, according to information given to the Westside Pioneer this week. But the original start date was put off
about two weeks so as not to interfere with the Parade of Homes, Flannery said. In addition, a Utilities spokesperson erroneously told the Pioneer in early September
that the work would probably be done by early October.
A few businesses have complained that the project is adversely affecting them, but Flannery said Utilities is trying to be as sensitive to that situation as possible, and the
night work is part of that.